Every family has its traditions. Whether these traditions surround holidays or seasons, or maybe a time of the day, a tradition is something that a family establishes and may or may not be passed down from generation to generation.
Sometimes these traditions are established as a yearly thing, and sometimes they cost nothing at all, but often families save up all year to be able to carry out a tradition. And then there are things that a family would like to carry out in the future that won't necessarily be easy for them. Below I have included some ways to carry on traditions, by season or holiday, that can cost you nothing or will save you money in the long run.
New Year's: So it isn't super common to have an outside-of-the-box New Year's tradition. Sometimes the tradition is a family gathering to watch the ball drop. If your family is one that always has a party and maybe this year, you or whoever is throwing the party can’t afford to provide food and whatever else, make the party a potluck.
People love to be part of things, so maybe divide your guests up and some can bring a dish and others bring desserts or snacks. This will mean less money for you to spend and less of a cleanup afterwards.
Easter: Around this time of year, people go to church and dig candy out of a basket filled with fake grass. A big tradition in my family is hunting and finding little plastic eggs filled with candy. The easiest way to continue this tradition on a tight budget is to keep the plastic eggs and reuse them.
Make part of the hunt dumping the candy into the Easter basket and returning the eggs. This way, you can refill the same eggs yearly and you don’t have to spend money on new ones. To save even more money, try reusing the baskets really also. Take it from a kid who knows, the thrill is really about what’s inside the basket anyway.
Summer: There are a lot of things going on in the summer. Maybe some of your traditions surround the Fourth of July. Instead of paying to see fireworks, consider having a tailgate party or potluck picnic with family and friends where you will be able to see the fireworks in your area.
Sometimes, its family tradition to go to a resort, cruise, amusement park or pier. Often, these kinds of things have deal weekends or specialty days. It’s not always convenient to take a family to these kinds of places because of price. When the park or venue releases its summer calendar, look for events that might lessen the price or give you a deal with how many people you bring. This might even allow someone in the family to bring a friend or encourage you to invite another family along. The better the deal, the better time you are guaranteed to have.
When looking at summer vacations. Always go through a comparison site for hotels and family excursions. Look at a hotel site as soon as you know what days you are going. You can always cancel the room if you have to go another day. When shopping on a comparison site like Trivago, you are more likely to get a better deal on the hotel room if you are booking super early; you could shave hundreds of dollars off your room and even stay at a pricier hotel for cheaper when you get and “early bird special.”
“Groupon” is a great site for group deals. It’s ideal to be a tourist when you're on a budget. Take as many days as you would like, and designate them “beach days.” This doesn't necessarily mean you are going to the beach; it just means those are the days you will do sightseeing, or something that is free, that the area is known for. The other days will be the days you do things with group deals. These things can also save you money when you book early, so don’t wait until the last minute to plan your vacation.
Thanksgiving: This is the time of year when we can cook peacefully while watching the parade in the morning, and watch our family argue over a football game in the afternoon. If your family is hosting for the 10th time or the 50th and money is running tight, maybe suggest an economically friendly potluck Thanksgiving. Each person can offer to bring a dish as long as you provide the turkey and the stuffing, or maybe a different combination. This also saves money, cleanup, and prep time. Sure, the turkey will still be cooking all day, but this way you don’t have to worry that you have forgotten something. This is a nice way of continuing the tradition of gathering in your home and shaving off a few dollars. Talk about something to be thankful for.
Christmas: Now this is the time of year when gift giving is at large. When you're looking for the best deals of the summer, consider looking on deal sites like Amazon for your gifts. The Barbie that you were looking for at Toys R Us may cost a third of the price on cyber Monday on Amazon. Plus, you can find better deals and comparison shop better online. Look for coupons and discounts on every site before checking out and never buy it at the first price you see.
As long as all the kids are grown up, there is no need to humor the idea of Santa Claus. If this is the case and you are looking for more cheap but heartfelt gifts, you could always propose the idea of a DIY Christmas. DIY doesn't always mean you have to go out and buy the supplies; you would be surprised with how many awesome things can be made from the world around you. This is a super neat and affordable way to make sure everyone is on the same page this Christmas, and the things from the heart are the best of them all.
I hope these tips can help you out this year with the things you plan to do. I know how important family traditions are and how, sometimes, the expenses can just be too much, but we never want to stop sharing these things with our families. It is important for families to feel like there is something that is unique to them, and traditions provide families with that thing.
